At the 2017 Religion Communicators Council (RCC) annual DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards ceremony in Chicago, Illinois on March 30^th, ISKCON Communications won several awards for excellence in religion communications, including a Best of Class award for “The Joy of Devotion” film. “The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” magazine also won an award for excellence in overall design and a merit award for single-issue periodicals.

The panel of judges for the awards, which included journalism professors and newspaper editors from both religious and secular organizations, praised “The Joy of Devotion” film and said “it was an excellent production that invokes emotional and spiritual connections and increases understanding.” The film won the highest honors in the audio-visual/broadcast/non-broadcast/cable category and went up against entries from Bread for the World, Pauline Center for Media Studies, and Odyssey Networks among others. 

The the award with the engraving.

Anuttama Das, International Minister of Communications, accepted the Best of Class award on behalf of ISKCON Communications and the film’s creator and director, Krishna-lila Dasi (Krisztina Danka, Ph.D.), as well as his co-producers on the film Bhakti Caru Swami and Pancharatna Das. He accepted the awards of excellence and merit on behalf of the 50^th magazine’s executive editors, Mukunda Goswami and Krishnarupa Dasi, project manager Bhakta Das, and rest of the editorial staff. 

“I’ve been a member of the RCC for 25 years and this was the first time ISKCON was recognized, in a significant way, at the annual awards ceremony, said Anuttama. “It’s very exciting and a testament to the talent and hard work of all the devotees involved with both the Joy of Devotion and the 50^th anniversary magazine.”

The group of awardees.

The Religion Communicators Council is a professional association of writers, editors, designers, photographers, and videographers who work in the communications field for faith-based organizations. The annual awards are given to members of the RCC who demonstrate excellence in religious communication and public relations. This year there were over 230 entries in 60 different categories and each was judged on overall quality and effectiveness in reaching its audience and fulfilling its intended purpose.

The Joy of Devotion film’s trailer.

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“The Joy of Devotion” is available for public screening at ISKCON temples, theaters, clubs, communities, public events, or festivals. It has already been screened by 37 temples in 12 countries, including a highly successful premiere at the Camden Center in London. Temples are asked to make a one-time contribution of $125 to cover the costs of marketing and additional films that will be produced with extra footage taken during the shoot. For more information about ordering a copy and the public screening rights of the film please visit: http://www.joyofdevotionfilm.com/hold-a-screening 

“The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years” commemorative anniversary magazine is also still available for purchase in North America, India, and elsewhere around the world. Please contact Amrita Hari (amrita@iskcon.org)for more information.